(c. 1347 – May 10, 1424) was the 99th

emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his positio ...

, according to the traditional order of succession. He ruled from 1383 to October 21, 1392, becoming the last Emperor of the

Southern Court The were a set of four emperors (Emperor Go-Daigo and his line) whose claims to sovereignty during the Nanboku-chō period spanning from 1336 through 1392 were usurped by the Northern Court. This period ended with the Southern Court definitively ...

. His personal name was . This 14th century sovereign was named after the 13th century

Emperor Kameyama was the 90th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1260 through 1274. Genealogy Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (his ''imina'') was . He was t ...

and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later"; and thus, he could be called the "Later Emperor Kameyama". The Japanese word "''go''" has also been translated to mean the "second one"; and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Kameyama, the second" or as "Kameyama II".

Genealogy

He was the second son of

Emperor Go-Murakami (1328 – March 29, 1368) was the 97th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and a member of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period of rival courts. He reigned from September 18, 1339, until March 29, 13 ...

. His mother was Fujiwara Katsuko (藤原勝子), better known as

Kaki Mon'in Kaki Mon'in (嘉喜門院, died 1380s?) was a Japanese noblewoman, Buddhist nun and ''waka'' poet of the Nanboku-chō period. She may have been the daughter of Ano Sanetame. She was a concubine of Japan's 97th emperor, Emperor Go-Murakami, an emper ...

. Little is known of his empress or other consorts. Imperial Prince Tsuneatsu (恒敦) is believed to be his son. *Empress: Minamoto (Kitabatake) Nobuko,

Kitabatake Akinobu (1320 – 1380) was a Japanese court noble, and an important supporter of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō Wars. His father was imperial advisor Kitabatake Chikafusa. His daughter became empress of Emperor Go-Kameyama. His ''kami'' ...

's daughter **Third Son: Imperial Prince Yoshiyasu (良泰親王; 1370–1443) ** Imperial Prince Priest Gyōgo (行悟法親王; 1377–1406） ** First Daughter: Imperial Princess Yasuko (泰子内親王) married Nijō Fuyuzane *Consort: Fujiwara (Nijo) Noriko, Nijo Norimoto's daughter ** First Son: Imperial Prince Tokiyasu (世泰親王, 1360–1377） *Lady-in-waiting: Fujiwara (Hino) Kuniko, Hino Kunimitsu's daughter ** Second Son: Imperial Prince Moroyasu (師泰親王; 1362–1423) ** Shino (真阿, 1374–1440) *Mother unknown ** Imperial Prince Tsuneatsu (恒敦, d.1422), First Head of Ogawa clan. ** Sonkoku (琮頊, d.1448)

Life

Go-Kameyama acceded to the throne during the turbulent '' Nanboku-chō'' period during which rival claimants to the

Chrysanthemum Throne The is the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term also can refer to very specific seating, such as the throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace. Various other thrones or seats that are used by the Emperor during official functions, ...

gathered supporters around them in what were known as the

Northern court The , also known as the Ashikaga Pretenders or Northern Pretenders, were a set of six pretenders to the throne of Japan during the Nanboku-chō period from 1336 through 1392. The present Imperial House of Japan is descended from the Northern Cour ...

and the Southern Court. Go-Kameyama became Emperor in what was called the Southern court when

Emperor Chōkei was the 98th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from 1368 through 1383. His personal name was Yutanari (寛成) and his regal name roughly translates to "Long Celebration". Genealogy His father was E ...

abdicated in 1383. On October 15, 1392, at the insistence of the peace faction amongst his own courtiers, he applied to

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was the third ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate, ruling from 1368 to 1394 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimitsu was Ashikaga Yoshiakira's third son but the oldest son to survive, his childhood name being Haruō (). Yoshimitsu was ...

for peace; and he subsequently returned to the capital where he did hand over the

Sacred Treasures The are the imperial regalia of Japan and consist of the sword , the mirror , and the jewel . They represent the three primary virtues: Courage, valour (the sword), wisdom (the mirror), and Altruism, benevolence (the jewel).Emperor Go-Komatsu was the 100th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後小松天皇 (100) retrieved 2013-8-28. and the sixth and final Emperor of the Northern Court. He is officially consi ...

reneged on the treaty by abdicating in favour of his own son. Henceforth, no Southern Court claimant ever sat on the Chrysthansemum Throne again. Still, since 1911, the Japanese government has declared the southern claimants were actually the rightful emperors despite the fact that all subsequent emperors including the then-Emperor Meiji were descended from the Northern Court, reasoning the Southern Court retained possession of the three sacred treasures, thus converting the emperors of the former Northern court into mere pretenders. Following his abdication, he went into seclusion; but, in 1410, he returned to Yoshino. The

Imperial Household Agency The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family, and also the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD, up until the Second World War, it ...

recognizes ''Saga no ogura no misasagi'' (嵯峨小倉陵) in

Ukyō-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. History The meaning of ''ukyō'' (右京) is "on the Emperor's right." When residing in the Kyoto Imperial Palace the emperor would sit facing south, thus the west ...

as his tomb.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan,'' p. 423.

Kugyō

''Kugyō'' (公卿) is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his positio ...

in pre- Meiji eras. Even during those years in which the court's actual influence outside the palace walls was minimal, the hierarchic organization persisted. In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Go-Kameyama's reign, this apex of the ''

Daijō-kan The , also known as the Great Council of State, was (i) (''Daijō-kan'') the highest organ of Japan's premodern Imperial government under the Ritsuryō legal system during and after the Nara period or (ii) (''Dajō-kan'') the highest organ of Jap ...

'' included: * ''

Sadaijin The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the ini ...

'' * ''

Udaijin was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''udaijin'' in the context of a central administr ...

'' * ''

Nadaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre- Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remained as a significant post under the Tai ...

'' * ''

Dainagon was a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century.Nussbaum, "Dainag ...

Eras of Go-Kameyama's reign

The years of Go-Kameyama's reign are more specifically identified by more than one

era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin ''regnum'' meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year o ...

or ''

nengō The , also known as , is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being ""), followed by the literal ...

''. :''Nanboku-chō'' southern court *Eras as reckoned by legitimate Court (as determined by Meiji rescript) ** '' Kōwa'' (1381–1384) ** ''

Genchū Genchū (元中) was a Japanese era of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts lasting from April 1384 to October 1392.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Genchū''" i ''Japan encyclopedia,'' p. 236 n.b., Louis-Fréd� ...

'' (1384–1393) :''Nanboku-chō'' northern court *Eras as reckoned by pretender Court (as determined by Meiji rescript) ** ''

Eitoku was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kōryaku and before Shitoku. This period spanned the years from February 1381 to February 1384. The emperors ...

'' (1381–1384) ** ''

Shitoku Shitoku (至徳) was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Eitoku and before Kakei. This period spanned the years from February 1384 to August 1387. The ...

'' (1384–1387) ** ''

Kakei Kakei (嘉慶) was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Shitoku and before Kōō. This period spanned the years from August 1387 to February 1389. The ...

'' (1387–1389) ** ''

Kōō , also romanized as Kō-ō, was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kakei and before Meitoku. This period spanned the years from February 1389 to March ...

'' (1389–1390) ** ''

Meitoku Meitoku (明徳) was a Japanese era name (年号 ''nengō'', "year name") of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after ''Kōō'' and before ''Ōei''. This period spanned the years from March 1390 to July 1394. After ...

'' (1390–1393)‡ :Post''-Nanboku-chō'' reunified court *Eras merged as ''Meitoku'' 3 replaced ''Genchū'' 9 as Go-Kameyama abdicated. ** ''

'' (1393–1394)‡

References

Works cited

* * Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887
* Titsingh, Isaac, ed. (1834). iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652">Hayashi_Gahō.html" ;"title="iyun-sai Rin-siyo/ iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652 ''Nipon o daï itsi ran">Hayashi Gahō">iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652">Hayashi_Gahō.html" ;"title="iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō">iyun-sai Rin-siyo/Hayashi Gahō, 1652 ''Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou
Annales des empereurs du Japon.
' Paris: Royal Asiatic Society">Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland.

Genealogy

Life

Kugyō

Eras of Go-Kameyama's reign

References

Works cited

See also